ACCI Conference 2024

There are more than 40 million people with disabilities in the United States. Despite their ubiquity, people with disabilities are frequently marginalized, with profound implications for their physical, social, mental, and economic well-being. Our paper focuses on the financial health of people with disabilities, leveraging a holistic concept of financial well-being that encompasses one’s ability to meet day-to-day expenses, weather financial shocks, and plan for the future. Our findings demonstrate that barriers to participation in the workforce, financial exclusion, and safety net constraints may be undermining the financial health of people with disabilities and identifies opportunities to foster greater equity and financial well-being for this community. Data for the analyses come from three sources: a nationally representative survey, a survey representative of people with disabilities in the U.S., and 10 in-depth interviews of people with disabilities.

Author(s):  Andrew Warren, Wanjira Chege, Meghan Greene, Lisa Berdie